Marine Corps Vietnam veterans visit old friend

Photo By Valerie OBerry | Kenny Cheslack, Stephen Anderson, Dan McCready, Kenny Resnick and Curtis Brown stand in front of the steps of Taylor Hall named after fellow Marine, Staff Sgt. Karl Taylor who earned the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. (Photo by Jeremy Beale)  

QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES

10.13.2017

Story by Frances Seybold 

Marine Corps Base Quantico

In the image of Taylor appears to be grinning, as his eyes blankly stare into the common room. If not for the brief biography that is mounted under the painting, one might wonder what the story of this Marine is, which brings Taylor’s painting to life.
Oct. 13, five Marines, Kenneth Resnick, Stephen Anderson, Curtis Brown, Dan McCready and Kenny Cheslack from Taylor’s unit during the Vietnamese War—Company I, 3rd Battalion, 26th Regiment—visited OCS to pay their respects to their fallen Marine brother.
Taylor, who served as a sergeant instructor aboard Marine Corps Base Quantico before deploying to Vietnam was posthumously bestowed the Medal of Honor during his second tour in Vietnam by President Richard Nixon.
Taylor had been serving as his company’s gunnery sergeant during the Vietnam War. Unfortunatley, less than a day away from returning to the United States to celebrate Christmas with his family, Taylor was mortally wounded on Dec. 8, 1968 during Operation Meade River.
Taylor had charged across an open rice paddy toward an enemy machine gun position, firing a grenade launcher at the enemy so that his unit might live to fight another day.
Marines from Taylor Hall at OCS (which is named for Taylor) invited members of Taylor’s unit to an unveiling ceremony of a replica of Taylor’s Medal of Honor, which now sits in the display case of the common room for all who pass through to see and admire.
With the graduation of each OCS class, Marines within Taylor Hall donate a gift to the hall to inspire incoming Marines with the representation of the Marine Corps values—honor, courage and commitment. Now, within the glass case sits a replica of Taylor’s Medal of Honor, surrounded by pictures and awards of past OCS classes.
“The painting (of Taylor) on the wall was almost unrecognizable when I walked in because this was not the same gunny we fought beside,” Cheslack said “Gunny was a big man with a head full of hair and hearty mustache. But, he was a humble leader that any Marine would follow.”
Taylor had directly saved Cheslack’s and fellow Marine Anderson’s lives during Vietnam.
Anderson said he felt misty talking about Taylor, because he was alive and Taylor was not.
“Taylor would not want all this fuss,” Anderson said. “He would have wanted us out enjoying our lives.”
According to Anderson, Taylor was a humble man with so much potential.
“He definitely could have made it to sergeant major,” Anderson said.
McCready said Taylor loved the Marine Corps and his family. He was a husband and father of two.
According to Resnick, it was hard for a lot of the Marines in the room to see themselves as heroes like Taylor was after returning home from Vietnam.
Resnick said the Vietnam War changed the perspectives of many of the Marines within his company on how war was viewed.
“Most of us were teenagers no more than 18 years old,” Resnick said. “We were doing what was expected of us, defending the nation against communism and defending the freedoms of this great nation.”
Resnick acknowledged that many of his Marine brothers struggled with showing the honor, courage and commitment that so many Marines display today, because of the stigma surrounding the Vietnam War. He said most struggle to even look at a weapon due to the tribulations they faced during the war.
However, according to Resnick it was days like this reunion and the memorializing of fallen Marines such as Taylor that made his chest swell with pride.
“We earned the title of Marine just like any other,” Resnick said. “We have to stick together because there aren’t a lot of us around anymore.”
Resnick believes there are few things more important to a Marine than their fellow brothers in arms.
“Cherish the moments you spend together, because on your worst day the love of a brother will go a long way,” Resnick said.
As the Marines stood beside the painting of an old friend, smiles and tears filled their eyes because they knew a dear friend would inspire many future Marines to come.
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• Date Taken: 10.13.2017
• Date Posted: 10.30.2017 08:11
• Story ID: 253284
• Location: QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, US